How to choose the first keywords to track

Choose the path that matches your site

Existing site: start with Search Console

A search query is what someone typed into Google. A tracked keyword is a phrase you choose to monitor. If your site already has Search Console data, you are probably not starting from zero. Begin with relevant queries that already have impressions, even when they have few clicks or rank outside the top 10.

New site: start from pages

A new site may have little Search Console data. Start with the pages that matter most: your homepage, categories, products, use cases, and tools. For each page, write one or two phrases a potential visitor might search. These are starting ideas, not guarantees. Your first results will show which ones deserve more attention.

Every site: add brand terms

Every site should add a few brand, product, and distinctive feature phrases. They may look easy, but they warn you when a directory, review site, marketplace, or competitor begins to displace the page you expect to own.

Turn a broad idea into a useful phrase

A broad topic is a useful place to start. Make it more useful by connecting it to a clear audience, need, and page. For example, a team planning a page for freelance designers might move from a broad topic to a phrase that describes that page.

The phrase becomes more useful because it points to a visitor and a page, not simply because it is longer. Use the same pattern when you turn any first idea into a phrase to track.

• Broad idea: project management.
• Clear category: project management for design studios.
• Page-aligned phrase: project management for freelance designers.
• Page that should rank: /project-management-for-designers.

Build a starter set you can explain

Your first set is ready when it has 10-20 phrases, and every phrase has a page that should rank and a reason to track it. The page that should rank is often called the target URL. If no suitable page exists, record the page you need to create instead of adding an unowned phrase.

For a 12-phrase first set, use four phrases your site already appears for, four tied to valuable pages, two brand phrases to protect, and two long-term opportunities. This is not an algorithm. It simply prevents a list made only of broad terms, only of existing winners, or only of brand names.

• Improve a page: a phrase connected to a page you want to make stronger.
• Protect a ranking: a brand, product, or high-value phrase you want to keep.
• Monitor a launch: a phrase for a new or recently changed page.
• Pursue a long-term goal: a useful phrase that may take longer to rank for.

Run a first check, then improve the set

Use Search Console to find Google queries. Use GA4 or Plausible to decide which pages and outcomes matter most. They add useful context, but they do not replace a rank check. A rank-check provider runs the check for the market and device you selected.

Not found in the top 100 is a starting point, not a failure. The page may be new, unindexed, aimed at the wrong market, or mismatched to the search. Check which page Google selected, review the intent, and keep or remap the phrase based on what you learn.